You're unproduced and have what you think is a terrific screenplay. What in your opinion is the best way to get it read?

Send out short sweet query letters with a concise kick ass logline that tickles the recipients curiosity.

Send queries with a summary of your terrific story.

Leave it up to your manager to find a prodco.

Elevator or party pitches to actors, directors, producers, or any other right people.

Win a contest and they'll come knocking at your door.

Other ways? War stories?

I feel like I'm the only one active on this board... guess I got sick of Facebook cat vids.

Anyway... I think it's a simple answer: ALL OF THE ABOVE!

I shared a story yesterday of how my neighbor reached out for me to 4 people. I think it's a matter of 'engage anyone you can.' But, not in a creepy way. IMO engage them as a person first, if they then ask to read something, cool, if not, cool. I ain't gonna push. The less pushy and desperate you are, the more likely they'll be to ASK YOU to send them something... IMO

I said in the other thread that my neighbor (Because he likes me) offered to help me. This is after making 3 calls for me. Mind you, he's on speakerphone the whole time. He says to me "You know what... I never do this, but lemme reach out to ____'s boyfriend, he'll get your script directly to _____." He calls, the person was sleeping "What are you doing sleeping at this hour?" They chit chat for a bit and he says "Listen, I have a very talented screenwriter I want ____ to take a look at." The boyfriend says "Sure, send it over."

This is a huge showrunner who just made an overall deal for 9 figures. Stupid hard to go direct to this person. Who knows what'll happen, probably nothing. But, it happened by me being nice to my neighbor and therefore him WANTING to help me. I never ask for help. I just focus on being *a good hang* and hope people offer.

This should probably be under 'Business, Questions, Advice', and there are probably numerous similar threads archived there.

But let me add my input by recounting a strategy I was all set to embark upon, but then backed out at the last second. (And boy, have I been waiting to unload about this for a few months now... )

Know about Patreon, the crowdfunder? Sure ya' do.

With my website and stable of finished screenplays in-hand, I was going to go on that thing and try to raise subscriptions of $300 a month, which I thought wouldn't be too hard, to help me 'break in'. There are a lot of nice, generous folks out there who'd help. I mean, the whole wide world's available to us on that platform, not just a bunch of persnickety know-it-alls in Los Angeles or wherever. And $5 per patron can add up in a hurry.

Here's how I was going to spend my monthly money from my beloved patrons (it's easy and fun to spend money before ya' have it, eh?):

There were other prospects (SpecScout, Stage32 pitches, etc. etc.), but I figure this list was a great start. It totals about about $285, which is money I sure don't have otherwise, and was going to go directly toward my goal of going after reads and recognition.

So, I was making up my plan in detail... when I backed out.

Why?

Because just at that very time Patreon was in the process of kicking long-standing people off their platform!

First of all, as a person who severely believes in free speech, I took profound offense to them doing that. One guy, I read about, was being kicked off for what he'd said on FB or something; that is, it had nothing to do with his Patreon account, which may have been to promote his music or whatever.

Well, I just wasn't going to let that happen to me: Where I'd do all the set-up work and collecting names and signing up for subscriptions and then... So while I don't think I have any material that I need to worry about from the SJWs and doxxers who're out to keep people from their free speech and freedom of association and pursuit of happiness, etc. etc., it feels good to take a stand sometimes, even though the darn Patreon guys don't have a clue that I've done it. Lots of long-standing Patreon account holders dropped out with those evictions, to show support, but I wonder how much business Patreon lost from new subscribers who just didn't join up - my own among them.

Whatever, it's Patreon's loss, as they make a good percentage of every patronge/donation, and I may very well have been a real success story since I have a lot of stuff that I could have tested on those 5 services I listed above.

In other words, as Gucci says, anything and everything; but you shouldn't have to sell your soul, either.

The result? I just resumed my usual strategies, which I've recounted many times here in this place so won't again. There, ain't you lucky? I hate to be a pain in the bandwidth to anybody, after all.

In my dreams, I thought somebody had figured out the secret of how to get lucky, and he or she would reveal it to the rest of us.

What method has brought the most luck? Are loglines passe?

Personally, I kinda think so (passť). Just tell me what the fukk you want me to read, and do it as quick and neat as possible. I guess thatís a logline. Just sayín, I donít think it HAS to be traditional. Meaning, I believe we often overthink it. Just string a series of words together that make me want to read it. That doesnít HAVE to be a traditional logline IMO.

One of my "pro" tips is to write as clear as possible. In the script itself and in telling people about it. Short. Sweet. Clear.

Just read some posts on this board -- some of them prove to me right away that this person just doesn't get it. I'm sorry. But they don't get the art of screenwriting. Maybe they are nailing novels and poems... but not this job.

My buddy used to pitch me at work his new script and I knew it would stink because he would talk for 10 minutes and then he'd go... so that's the opening scene. WTF, JOHN!!! I'm like tell me the entire move as quick as possible. 10 seconds!

Make the read easy.

Make me want to read it.

Don't put up obstacles.

What you do in these forums and in personal emails (I do too) going back and forth, giving your 10 takes on the same 1 idea... pitching 10 ideas at once... don't do that. Pitch 1 idea. Make it sound like you believe in it and you just finished writing it today.

And just know your comedy or thriller or horror or action movie has a better shot at getting read than a period western. But don't write the comedy movie if you really want to write that western.

Write what you love. What you want to see in the movie theater.

And then realize we all could have been doctors if we put as much time into that as we do writing.

One of my "pro" tips is to write as clear as possible. In the script itself and in telling people about it. Short. Sweet. Clear.

Just read some posts on this board -- some of them prove to me right away that this person just doesn't get it. I'm sorry. But they don't get the art of screenwriting. Maybe they are nailing novels and poems... but not this job.

My buddy used to pitch me at work his new script and I knew it would stink because he would talk for 10 minutes and then he'd go... so that's the opening scene. WTF, JOHN!!! I'm like tell me the entire move as quick as possible. 10 seconds!

Make the read easy.

Make me want to read it.

Don't put up obstacles.

What you do in these forums and in personal emails (I do too) going back and forth, giving your 10 takes on the same 1 idea... pitching 10 ideas at once... don't do that. Pitch 1 idea. Make it sound like you believe in it and you just finished writing it today.

And just know your comedy or thriller or horror or action movie has a better shot at getting read than a period western. But don't write the comedy movie if you really want to write that western.

Write what you love. What you want to see in the movie theater.

And then realize we all could have been doctors if we put as much time into that as we do writing.

Ainít that the fukkin truth!

My elevator pitch is 30 seconds max. If I canít get you engaged in 30 seconds you never will be. The best pitch is... youíre immediately interrupted. Cool, tells me youíre engaged enough to want to out talk me. GO FOR IT! YOU PITCH ME MY OWN STORY! Silence is when I know Iím dead.